Eye Photography

So I’m often asked – what’s ophthalmic photography? For me, it’s the type of photography I do when I’m not shooting sports. Simply put; it’s eye photography. But it’s not so simple to do. It combines a specific skill set with specialized equipment and knowledge.

The camera I use is called a fundus camera or a retinal camera. It’s kind of a microscope with a digital camera attached to it. Through this camera, one sees the sometimes beautiful structures of the retina, such as the optic nerve and the graceful microscopic blood vessels, which keep the retina nourished with oxygen.

I have been involved in ophthalmic photography for nearly 30 years and I’m still amazed by the wonders of the eye that I get to see through the camera each day. As I mentioned, the structures of the eye are often stunning, but I have also witnessed instant blindness spontaneously occurring in front of me too. As a photographer, there is nothing more horrifying to me than blindness. But the skilled doctors who I work with are able to help preserve vision more so than when I started in this field. There have been many exciting advancements in both imaging and treatment that I have seen over the years. This has kept me upbeat about my work and the work of these talented physicians.

In the words of many of the patients I have encountered thru the years – don’t take your vision for granted. Celebrate your sight by appreciating the beautiful scenes that our eyes capture every day.

IDIOPATHIC MACULAR TELANGIECTASIA: This image was recently published in the March 25, 2013 issue of Ocular Surgery News.